Obama to Abbas: I am committed to creation of Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - May 11, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged commitment to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and vowed to hold both Israel and the Palestinians accountable if either side takes actions that "undermine trust" during U.S.-mediated talks launched this week. In a telephone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama welcomed the beginning of indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and reiterated his strong support for the two-state solution. » Read more

Exclusive: Arab Bank shuts down in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Golan Hazani - May 10, 2010 - 12:00am The largest bank in the Arab world, the Arab Bank, will shut down its three Gaza branches, the Calcalist learned Monday. Their closing will mark the last of the banks working according to international banking standards in Gaza. Tunnel operators in Strip say ruling Islamist movement issue the order late Wednesday for unknown reasons; Hamas says tunnels will continue to operate as long as blockade not lifted Full Story » Read more

Arabs have a complex relationship with the Holocaust ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Gilbert Achcar - (Analysis) May 12, 2010 - 12:00am The issue of Holocaust denial in the Arab world has been widely covered in the media. Every public display of Holocaust denial by an Arab source is prominently reported and construed as further evidence of the pro-Nazi inclinations that Arabs, or Muslims, hold in their deepest hearts, especially when they are hostile to Israel. The deliberate provocations that the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stages regularly contribute considerably to fostering this image. » Read more

Olmert speaks out against proximity talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Atilla Somfalvi - May 11, 2010 - 12:00am While under investigation over his alleged involvement in the Holyland affair, Former Prime Minster Ehud Olmert on Tuesday questioned the effectiveness of proximity talks with the Palestinians and said that "anything less than direct talks – is not as good." During a speech at the Social Economic Forum named after Benny Gaon in Tel Aviv, Olmert said that "there was no need for a referee between us and the Palestinians. » Read more

Israel halts care for dead militant's relative ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Karoun Demirjian - May 11, 2010 - 12:00am Israel has barred a cousin of an assassinated Hamas operative from entering from Gaza for medical care, security officials said Tuesday, though the man's doctors warn his life is in danger. Mohammed al-Mabhouh, 56, is the cousin of senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was assassinated in Dubai in January in a hit local authorities blamed on Israel's Mossad spy agency. Israel has not commented on the charge. » Read more

Fatah: Israel planning mall in East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 12, 2010 - 12:00am Israel is planning to build a shopping mall in East Jerusalem on three dunums of land owned by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Endowments, behind the US Consulate, Fatah Jerusalem Affairs official Hatem Abdul Qader said Tuesday. The land's trustee was handed down administrative orders, including eviction notices, from the director of the Israel Lands Administration, claiming the land as government owned rather than residential, Abdul Qader said. » Read more

Abbas, Obama agreed to top proximity talks with borders, security issues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 12, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed that the U.S.-proposed indirect Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks would focus on the issues of security and borders, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Tuesday. In a phone conversation, the two leaders have also emphasized that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis should make any " provocative" action "that could destroy the confidence" during the talks, according to Wafa. » Read more

Readout of the President’s Call with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority Press Release - May 12, 2010 - 12:00am Read more

Jerusalem Old City Initiative Releases New Peace Plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America by Meredith Buel - May 12, 2010 - 12:00am Israel and the Palestinians have resumed peace talks following a 17-month break in negotiations. Possibly the most difficult issue on the table in the conflict is the future of Jerusalem's Old City - an area sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews. A group of Israelis, Palestinians, Canadians and Americans has released a new initiative designed to help the parties resolve this thorny problem. » Read more

What Do Israelis Think of Obama? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Review Of Books May 12, 2010 - 12:00am “PRES OBAMA: SAVE ISRAEL FROM ITSELF.” So proclaimed a sign at a demonstration in late March in Sheik Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem where activists gather every Friday to protest the eviction of Palestinian residents from their homes. Among the demonstrators was the Israeli novelist David Grossman, with whom I struck up a conversation about Barack Obama, who is not generally regarded as a popular figure in Israel these days, not least because of his public call for a halt to Israeli settlement activity. » Read more